


The Right Arm Knows All

by 0ya_script4



Series: Voltron: Legendary Writing Prompts [10]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, F/M, Happy Ending, M/M, Romantic Soulmates, Short Story, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tags May Change, Tumblr Prompt, soulmate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2018-12-21 11:23:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11943129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0ya_script4/pseuds/0ya_script4
Summary: It was clearly the most aggravating thing ever. The last thing Lance wanted tattooed to his body was “Are you flirting with me?” but it's not like he could help it! His damn soulmate was already labeled as a total airhead if they didn't know LANCE was flirting with them.Alternatively: Shiro is 100% confused when this really nice boy comes up and comments on his muscles because it’s hella hot and he didn’t wear proper clothes so he’s shirtless by default.





	1. Chapter 1

The day started cold, the crisp air flowing through his little white tuft of hair that he decided against washing this morning. He was more of a night time shower taker anyway. He thought that today would stay crisp and cold, welcoming the whispers of winter so he dressed for the warmth and it still was very much that cool breeze and a light hint of that snowy bliss, however, he was unaware that it was all a lie and the 50-degree weather would leave by his second class and melt him with 85-degree humid heat.

His best friend, who he met because they were roommates, told him that he should’ve never left the room with that thick ‘dad’ sweater on and his winter jeans. But damn, Shiro just wanted winter to get here!

Takashi Shirogane, a winter lover but sadly not a winter baby. Shiro is more rugged than he’d like to be, his life leading him into a spiral of depression. Shiro had joined the Military and after 4 years he’d already lost his right arm, which actually made him lose all hope and force him to restart thinking his life and rebuild how he thinks of society. Shiro can’t remember anything about it, how it felt to have a right arm or how it felt to struggle with only one arm. He’s been saving up for a prosthetic but they’ve just been going up in prices. Shiro is a Junior at Hamilton University he’s pursuing Astrology currently and minoring in Engineering which is how he got his current Roommate Hunk Garrett.

Hunk Garrett is almost as old as Shiro, but not quite. He’s three years younger than him (being 27 and Shiro 30). Shiro thought he’d seen Hunk prior but Hunk was more off campus going towards a culinary degree, and adventuring to different bakeries with his class getting to try out all the cakes and sweets the places offered. Hunk graduated from that and then decided to go for Engineering which he is a Freshmen in. Hunk is super nice and loves to treat Shiro to some sweets in their shared off campus apartment. Hunk likes to brag about his right arm, showing it off to anyone who asks or listening to new people with keen ears waiting to see if it matched what was on his right arm. 

 

You see, everyone is born with a phrase on their right arm. A simply worded sentence that their soulmate will say to them the first time they meet them. Hunk's arm is graced with 'I love sparkly things,' and he has yet to meet his soul mate but he has never stopped looking. Some ignore the words, some read the words every waking moment just laughing at ‘in what universe is that in context?’ or ‘what could I possibly say to make them say this?’. Shiro was indifferent about his. He didn’t pay too much attention some days and others he’d lay awake at night staring at it wondering what they were doing. It was just a stupid pick up line, he knew it. But he'd just wonder: What trials were they facing. What dream they were dreaming, or would they be awake right now? What time zone are they in? Is it a guy or a girl? Would he be okay if his soulmate’s a girl? Would he be okay if his soulmate was transgender? Would he be okay if his soulmate wasn't a physical love person like he is? Would they even be okay that he’s male?

He joined the military and soon didn’t have time to think about them. He didn’t stop thinking about them, but more the words they’d say. His arms were always covered by bandages or with his uniform so the words were soon becoming a haze to him. He'd remember the first word or think he knew the word and had to look at it to remind himself what even the first letter was. His mind was just too occupied with the Military. Then the explosion happened. He lost his arm. He felt so pitiful asking where it was and why he couldn’t find it. He felt terrible screaming for his Major to tell him what was scripted on it so he could know what his soulmate would say to him…. But it was gone. Burnt until no one could even tell it was an arm at one point…. No one would know now. The first week of rehabilitation Shiro begged his mother and father to search through pictures to find his arm so he could read it, so he could know. But every photo….EVERY STINKING PHOTO his arm was out of sight or turned so he couldn’t read it. The hospital didn’t keep records of the words, so he was lost. He had no way of knowing what his soulmate would say, and he just figured that this meant he didn't have one and wouldn’t.

Shiro just kind of faced it head on. Taking almost a whole year to realize that he was fine being alone, for the most part. Hunk was so scandalized that Shiro didn't know and now would never know that he even offered to be his soulmate, but when Shiro's words didn't match what was on his arm Shiro had to refuse so that he wouldn't keep Hunk away from his future husband or wife. 

 

* * *

 

 

So here Shiro sits, sweating his butt off in  _Statistics 153: Introduction to Time Series_ and cursing his thick build and the lack of winter. He thought about taking out his phone to text Hunk to get him a thinner shirt but realized that Hunk's class had already started and would be out by the time Shiro's four-hour class would be over. Shiro stretched the collar of his sweater out as he felt a bead of sweat run down his face and noted that he still had two hours of this lecture. He might be able to leave, but would it even be worth it to come back into this hot-as-hell lecture room?  Shiro looked around to his classmates to see if anyone else was as stupid as he was. He saw Matt hanging on every word the professor was preaching and taking the best notes that he could; Shay, who is a foreign exchange student and Hunk's best friend, asking questions and making sure she understood the slurs the professor was using for constellations; Kevin, who was new to the 'family', and more of a lucky guy than Shiro could ever aspire to be (he's so close to failing all his classes at this point and just sleeps in class); and then there's Keith who just seems bored out of his mind, probably already knowing this stuff and wanting to correct the professor's facts. Keith was dressed in his 'winter wear' too, but he was in all black with his Hunk-knitted beanie on his head, however, he didn't seem too bothered by the heat. Shiro looked to other characters who seemed indifferent, some fanning themselves, and then one caught his eye. Right across the way sat (very comfortably) a very lithe boy. His beautiful mocha skin danced in the lights as it sweat like no other. Upon further inspection, Shiro notices the boy was only in a hoodie and the swim club 'uniform'. So the boy wasn't sweating but rather sprinted right from practice to this lecture. 

He seemed interested in the lecture but also too comfortable in his seating arrangement sitting beside a woman that was just about as ethereal as he is demanding he sat up with a slight slap to his thigh, and Keith's half brother, Lotor (captain of the Swim team), on the other side of him showing about as much interest as Keith was. Shiro couldn't place the boy. Thinking that this boy had to be a new kid because he was too damn noticeable to be in Shiro's graduating class. 

Shiro pulled out his phone and texted Matt. 

 

> **Shiro 3:12 pm** : Who are those really goregous people?? The trio of Royalty? I know Lotor, but the other two??
> 
> **Matt 3:14 pm** : Lance and Allura. Stop day dreaming and drolling over the two most impossibly georgeous people. If one of them is your soulmate I'm going to riot. 
> 
> **Shiro 3:14 pm** : Not like I would know.
> 
> **Matt 3:16 pm** : Don't you dare. They'll know. They have their half. If it matched your soulmate will be so overjoyed. This was like with Katie, her and Keith weren't even going to start dating because neither of them have anything written on them, but then again, their first contact was silent and that's what they bonded over. So, don't go thinking you'll be alone for your whole life. 
> 
> **Shiro 3:18 pm** : It's hot as hell. 
> 
> **Matt 3:22 pm** : Nice seguay.....
> 
>  

Shiro turned his attention to Matt who looked at him disappointed and then turned his head back to the professor. Shiro couldn't think all class, his body was overheating and his mind was just everywhere it was insane.

"Alright, I'm bored of my own voice for today," The Profesor said, "Remember, next class Doctor Slav will be coming in to talk about his theories on space and time travel. Be prepared with questions and notes. Dismissed." 

Shiro slowly got up, sweat trickling down his back. Sexy. 

"You're going to have heat stroke," Shiro heard Hunk's voice behind him as he walked outside

"Oh, hey Hunk," 

"Don't even. Shirt off Shiro." 

"Hunk--" 

"Off or I pull it off and this campus thinks were even more of a couple." 

"Fine..." Shiro bit and handed Hunk his books as he quickly took off his sweater and tied it around his hips. Shiro had gone shirtless around campus once or twice, the eyes always made him concerned they were staring at his scars and burns, even his stump of what was left of his arm. He hated it. But Hunk cared for him and smiled

"When we get back to the room you're putting on a tank top and some shorts." 

"Thanks,  _Mom._ " 

"You're welcome~" 

"HUNK!" A thick-coated accent called through the halls after the Samoan. Hunk turned and smiled

"Hey, Lance," 

"Dude, did you get Physics notes? I totally forgot and slept in." 

"That class is at 2 pm, how did you sleep in?!" Hunk mothered to this boy as well. 

"Oh, who's this?" Lotor joked as he looked at Shiro, "Haven't seen you shirtless in a while," 

"Haven't seen you in a while either, Lotor. How's swimming?" Shiro smiled at Keith's half-brother

"Not as wonderful as your body," 

"Come now, Lotor, don't pester them." Allura, the woman in the crazily sexy trio, said as she hit the back of his head startling the bun of hair on top

"This is Lance, Lance this is--" 

"Do you have a name or can I call you mine?" Lance winked and then laughed "Those muscles could literally crush me, and I wouldn't mind~"

"Are you flirting with me?" Shiro awkwardly laughed. Lance stopped in his tracks and just looked to Shiro. 

"What did you say?"

"I'm sorry.... did I say something--" 

"OF COURSE I'M FLIRTING WITH--" Lance screamed with a heavy blush as he pulled at his hoodie sleeve to show his 'soul mark' "YOU!!! I FOUND YOU!!" 

Shiro just looked to the mark. 

Well... here we go.


	2. Chapter 2

Shiro just stared down at the mocha boy with wide eyes. His toned arm plastering Shiro's previous line of _Are you flirting with me?._ Shiros’ steel grey eyes just looked over the line, again and again, not believing that this was happening. He didn’t want to admit that this was happening so fast. That he had found his soulmate or that he was one of the people he was fawning over not even five minutes ago.

"Uhh..." Shiro just stared at the boy, "I... I think you have the wr-wrong guy...?"

"You can't escape fate, Shiro," Hunk hit Shiro's back with a loud slap

"HUUUUNNNKKK," Shiro hissed through his teeth

"I'm going to go see if Ulaz wants to help me with my homework or is he's going to use Thace as an excuse to procrastinate again,"

"Don't go..." Shiro silently called, "Hunk, I can't talk to people! I sit in my room all day!! HUNK! Don’t ignore me!"

"And how is it fair that he gets to see after Shiro?" Lotor questioned

"Will you two already leave!" Lance shooed them and turned to Shiro and looked to him with gleaming eyes. Sparks ignited in his pupils as the oceanic blue taunted Shiro into the deep waters, threatening to crash his body against the unforgiving underbelly of the ocean. Shiro wasn’t sure if he wanted to test the waters or trust his gut and stay away from the ocean a moment longer.

"UHHHHHH...." Shiro shivered at the feeling of his sweat trickling down his back

"We should go to Starbucks! I'll pay,"

He wasn’t really ready to talk to his supposed soulmate. He hadn’t even prepared his heart in this case.

_Okay, Takashi… we got this..._

  1. __You found your soulmate. Go you?__
  2. __He's a friggin' model...__
  3. __How is he so good looking.__
  4. _I don’t deserve this piece of heaven._
  5. _Those legs though..._
  6. _His skin is perfect, is this man human?_
  7. _Those eyes… how can they be such a deep blue? Is that even legal?_
  8. _His voice..  friggin_
  9. _How can he smell like coffee AND a bakery. I call foul._
  10. _I’m not ready for this..._



"If you're not a coffee person that's okay,” Lance was apparently still talking while Shiro was going through the mental checklist, “I can get you a sandwich or something!" The boy was practically bouncing.

"It's fine... We don't really need to go anywhere... we can just--walk?" Shiro stumbled through his words realizing that Lance was now blushing heavily and smiling like his life was made.

"Walking sounds boring, and I just got off of practice before class. Lotor is literally the worst! He’s such a villain just to prove to his father that he can do something better than he did! Anyway, so I don't really want to exercise more today, plus Starbucks is air-conditioned! Come on, man. A.C!"

"Alright, you win..." Shiro sighed

"YAY!" Lance jumped "I promise you won't regret that this loverboy is your soulmate!"

Shiro just watched Lance laugh, and fawn over his soul-mark like he was some child just learning about the possibility of having a soulmate that loved him before even meeting him. Lance was already quite the character in Shiro's book. Beautiful and talkative were just a few words that came right to Shiro's head. But he was too afraid that this could be a mistake. That this could be Lance just fawning over someone who said his soul-mark. Shiro's cousin had "I'm good, and you?" as their soul-mark. They had to sift through so many people as they tried to find their mate. Shiro didn't want to let his heart get too attached. But he should live a little too, right?

“The names Lance, Lance McClain-Fuentes. Mom’s from Cuba and Dad is from Florida.” Lance talked staring at nothing but Shiro as he talked about his life and waited in the Starbucks line, “the hyphenated last name is because Mom wanted to keep her Cuban heritage but Dad wanted us all to have his last name, so mom compromised and hyphenated it.”

“Oh, uh, I’m Takashi Shirogane, but everyone just calls me Shiro. One of my best friends actually came up with it. Both my parents are from Kyoto, Japan.”

“Wow! You speak amazing English!”

“Oh, I grew up in America, Texas to be exact. My parents moved when I was really young because they wanted me to grow up here. I’m bilingual.”

“I am so sorry!” Lance bounced and put his hands up in the air "I didn't mean to assume--!"

“You’re very animated, Lance,” Shiro laughed a little

“You're smile is amazing, you should show it more often!” Lance poked Shiro’s cheek as he twirled around and looked at the cashier, a familiar face.

“Lance, do you want your usual?” the cashier behind the counter asked in a monotone voice

“Of course, Pidge, what am I an animal?”

“Nooooo, you? An animal? I would never...” The cashier replied sarcastically

“How did you get back here so fast Pidge?” Shiro asked

“Oh, hey Shiro.” Pidge smiled for a second, “Keith had to go to his ceramics class and I didn’t want to stay for too long before Professor Coran was all up my ass about me needing to be smart and on top of class like Matt…”

“Wait, back up, how do you two know each other?!” Lance gasped

“Matt is my best friend, we went to elementary and middle school together.”

“I’ll have to curse him later for keeping Shiro a secret.” Lance fake whispered to Pidge

“Whatever,” Pidge rolled her eyes, “Shiro do you want your usual to?”

“Yeah, can you make it iced and add one extra shot tho?”

“Rough day?”

“Nah, more like a long hot day. Hunk even forced me to tie my shirt around my waist because I was sweating so much!”

“Wait, you’re a regular here too?” Lance gasped

“Oh, uh, yeah.”

“Alright, let’s see if I got this right, a Large Caramel Mocha swirl, light on the ice, three liquid sugars and one cream for Lance?”

“Yep!”

“And a, now, medium black coffee iced with 5 shots of espresso for Shiro.”

“You got it,”

“Black coffee? Bitter!” Lance stuck out his tongue and fake gagged

“$12.56, please,” Lance paid, as he said he would, without another word to Shiro. Lance did sparsely talk to Pidge about meeting up and working on the Robotics project and maybe they should invite Hunk along for the ride. Once their drinks were ready the two grabbed them and sat down at a two person table. Across from each other. Shiro gripped his drink in both hands welcoming the ice cold feeling to the palms of his hand.

He knew being shirtless wasn’t really the best option right now because he was getting really self conscious with his stump right out in the open in front of his potential soulmate, but he didn’t want to put his sweater back on. He should've gone back to his room before.... But Lance didn’t seem to mind the fact that his stump was out in the open. It was like he didn’t even seem to notice the stump, or he didn’t dare bring it up and was really good and avoiding eye contact with it.

“So, what do you want to know about me?” Lance asked

“Uhh… I don't know..." Shiro shrugged his shoulders as he lifted his coffee to his lips

“Well, I’m 20, I don’t know my star sign I think it’s Aquarius, or that’s at least what I want it to be! That would be so cool! Or Leo the lion! Um, I’m a design major, but I’m talking a lot of electives because I don’t know if I really want to be a designer. I got into swim because Allura dragged me saying something like I needed a distraction and Lotor is a _great_ distraction!” Lance twitched in his seat, “Shoot, I probably shouldn’t be talking about how hot other people are in front of my soulmate, right? Wow, that’s the worst thing someone could do!”

“Lance,” Shiro laughed as he stop drinking from his cup, “It’s alright. Don’t sweat it. We don't even know for sure if we’re soulmates, but then again… I haven’t thought about soulmates in a long time….”

“Why not?” Lance asked, then taking in a breath of air, knowing why but he was trying to avoid it. He moved his eyes down to his coffee and then back to Shiro

“I knew you were trying to avoid it, thank you, Lance… but…” Shiro lifted his hand up to his stump and ghosted the burned nerves, “I was a soldier. I lost it saving some of my men… I never memorized my soul-mark because I thought I’d always have it. Then when I lost it I searched for months for any picture with it in it… but none existed. After a while I just figured that my soulmate was either dead or that they’d have to settle for second best because I wouldn’t know if they were mine or not.”

“But, a soul-mark is more than just a phrase, Shiro,” Lance smiled as if it was common knowledge, “it’s a feeling. Like it's imprinted on birth. It’s that bubbling hope that thrives in your stomach when you see someone and hope that they are yours. When I saw you I had to do a double take. I told Lotor 'That's my soulmate', and he did an evil laugh saying 'Him? Good luck, been trying to get at that for years.'!" Lance laughed as he bounced a little in his seat and placed his hand on his thighs in a stiff fashion, "I dubbed my Soulmate as someone who didn't know left and right. 'Are you flirting with me' isn't the best first line, it kind of made me self-conscious that my soulmate wouldn't know if I was flirting with them... and if they didn't know that then they might get scooped up by someone else." 

"Hunk offered, when he saw I lost my right arm... but he's probably destined to be with that Senior, Kolivan? or whatever." 

"Oh? Why Koli? He's on the basketball team and totally not Hunk's type!" 

"Do you see the way he looks at Hunk? Also, at the beginning of the semester Hunk said something to him and he turned completely red and sprinted in the opposite direction. Hunk's been getting love letter ever since." 

"I can see--WAIT, nice try big guy! You're not getting over the topic of us being soulmates. Cleaver." 

Shiro laughed, hoping to be able to talk to Lance normally and avoid the topic of soulmates, but Lance had seen through him very easily. He looked down to his coffee and cupped it again with his hand. The swirl of the extra shot of espresso added to his already 4 shots. He smiled as he saw the same swirl in Lance's eyes and the same tone on his skin. “I’m afraid that you won’t like me… just because we’re soul mates doesn't mean that we’ll like each other."

Lance hesitated for a second before leaning forward a little bit and taking Shiro’s hand into both of his, removing it from the cold plastic coffee cup. “Honestly, you are a thousand times better than what I thought the universe was going to give me. Like I said, I thought my soulmate was going to be taken away from me, but you're here. You're the best guy I could ask for!”

“Lance… I can’t hug you… I'm not a woman so I can’t give you children…. I can’t--”

“Shiro, why don’t you tell me what you can do? I’ll start:” Lance smiled lightly, not letting go of Shiro’s hand but instead squeezing harder, “I can hold your hand, I can hold you, I can hug tight, I can smile, I can laugh at your jokes, I can tell stories, I love cuddling, I can cook, I can make decent coffee, I can read you a story, I can write a story, I can draw stick figures, I can text you, I can cover your eyes and pretend that you don’t know it’s me as I ask you who you think it is, I can giggle, I can blush, I can curse and swear, I can love and adore, I can talk on and on, and” Lance stood up slightly and leaned over the table, avoiding knocking over the coffee’s. He moved one hand to Shiro’s jaw and lifted his face up to meet Lances. Lance slowly brought down his lips to land right on Shiro’s rough chapped, espresso coated lips. Lance closed his eyes for a second and separated with a huff and a laugh, “I can kiss you.”

_You’re going to be the end of me..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw all the lovely comments and decided to give you all one more chapter! This was long in the making and sorry to make you all wait for it! I really do love this idea but I don't think I'm going to take it any farther than this! Thank you all for liking and commenting on this small Shance fic~

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a prompt on Tumblr and had to write it. Not sure if I'm going to leave it a one shot or make it into a book. Thanks for reading!


End file.
